EP3965951A1

EP3965951A1 - Coating method and corresponding coating installation

Info

Publication number: EP3965951A1
Application number: EP20724437.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans-Georg Fritz; Benjamin WÖHR; Jerome Lavallée; Moritz BUBEK; Timo Beyl; Daniel Tandler; Tobias Berndt; Frank Herre; Steffen Sotzny
Original assignee: Duerr Systems AG
Current assignee: Duerr Systems AG
Priority date: 2019-05-09
Filing date: 2020-05-04
Publication date: 2022-03-16
Also published as: CN113795335A; CN113795335B; ZA202110168B; US20220212218A1; DE102019112113A1; KR20220007096A; JP2022531791A; US11904334B2; MX2021012889A; WO2020225174A1; US20240139763A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating method for coating a component (for example, a motor vehicle body component) with a coating agent (for example, paint), with the following steps: fixing of a pattern on the component surface of the component to be coated, wherein the pattern is a surface region which is bordered by a contour; and full-area coating of the component surface with the coating agent within the contour; coating with sharp edges of the component surface with a coating agent along at least one part of the contour of the pattern. Furthermore, the invention comprises a coating installation which operates in a corresponding manner.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Coating process and corresponding coating system

The invention relates to a coating method for coating a component (e.g. motor vehicle body component) with a coating agent (e.g. paint). The invention also relates to a corresponding coating installation.

In modern painting systems for painting motor vehicle body parts, rotary atomizers are usually used as application devices, which emit a spatially extended spray of the paint to be applied.

In contrast, a more recent line of development provides nozzle applicators as application devices, which are also referred to as print heads and are described, for example, in DE 10 2013 002 412 A1. In contrast to the known rotary atomizers, such nozzle applicators do not emit a spatially extensive spray jet of the paint, but rather a spatially narrowly limited jet of coating agent. This has the advantage that the applied paint is almost completely deposited on the component to be coated and thus hardly any or no overspray occurs. Another advantage of these known nozzle applicators is that patterns, such as graphics or lettering, can also be applied to the component surface. However, there is the problem here that the contours of the pattern are not sharp.

When a jet of droplets is applied, the coating agent droplets initially form circular coatings on the component surface, which then converge to form a continuous coating agent film due to the cohesive force of the applied paint. However, a droplet structure can still be seen on the outer contour of the pattern, which is disruptive.

The same problem occurs in a similar form if, instead of a jet of droplets, a jet of coating agent is applied which is related in the direction of the jet. Here, the coating agent jets form continuous coating agent paths on the component surface, which are usually adjacent to one another and then converge due to the cohesive force of the applied paint. However, a structure can also be seen at the web ends, so that the contour is not sharp on all sides of the surface or of the pattern. For the technical background of the invention, reference is also made to DE 198 54760 A1, DE 10 2010 019 612 A1, DE 10 2013 006 868 A1, EP 0 282 599 A1, DE 199 36 790 A1, EP 2 770 322 A1, FAVRE BULLE, B .: "Automation of complex industrial processes - systems, processes and information management", Springer-Verlag GmbH, 2004, ISBN 978-3-7091-0562-7, DE 10 2016 014 944 A1 and DE 101 50 826 A1.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a correspondingly improved coating method and a corresponding coating system.

This object is achieved by a coating method according to the invention or a corresponding coating installation according to the independent claims.

The coating method according to the invention initially provides that a pattern is established that is to be produced on the component surface of the component to be coated, the pattern being a surface area which is bordered by a contour. The term pattern used in the context of the invention is to be understood in general terms and includes, for example, graphics, lettering, images, letters, numbers and other possible designs as well as partial areas of a coating object (e.g. roof spar, fenders, etc. of a motor vehicle body).

The pattern is made in a suitable manner and by means of aids, e.g. a software by an operator partially or fully automatically broken down into the contour parts and the flat parts. In a further step, path programs are created manually, partially automatically or fully automatically from the information (partial areas) determined in this way.

Furthermore, the coating method according to the invention, in accordance with the known coating method, provides that the component surface is coated flatly within the specified contour of the desired pattern, a nozzle applicator (e.g. print head) preferably being used, as already mentioned above for the prior art .

The coating method according to the invention is now characterized by a sharp-edged coating of the component surface with a coating agent along at least part of the contour of the pattern. In the context of the invention, the pattern is thus filled flat within the contour, while the contour or parts of the contour (for example, the front end edge) of the pattern is sharply drawn along the edge. It should be mentioned here that various sequences of these two coating steps are possible within the scope of the invention. One variant of the invention provides that the surface of the component surface is first coated within the contour, followed by the sharp-edged coating along the contour of the pattern. Alternatively, however, it is also possible for the contour of the pattern to be drawn first, followed by the surface coating within the contour.

It should also be mentioned that the surface coating within the contour of the predetermined pattern is preferably carried out with a greater surface coating performance than the sharp-edged coating along the contour. The term surface coating performance used in the context of the invention defines the size of the surface on the component that is coated within a certain unit of time, i.e. the ratio of coated area and required coating time.

In the case of a nozzle applicator as the application device, this variation of the surface coating performance can take place, for example, by activating or deactivating several nozzles of the nozzle applicator. The surface coating within the contour can be carried out with a large number of activated nozzles, whereas the sharp-edged coating along the contour of the pattern can be carried out with a smaller number of activated nozzles. The sharp-edged coating can be done along the contour of the pattern, for example, with less than 20, 10, 5 or even only with a single nozzle of the nozzle applicator.

The variation of the surface coating performance for the two-dimensional coating on the one hand and for the sharp-edged coating on the other hand can, however, also take place in other ways. For example, the flow rate of the applied coating agent can be changed for this purpose, for which purpose the application pressure can be varied, for example.

It should also be mentioned that the applicator (e.g. nozzle applicator) in the coating method according to the invention is preferably moved over the component surface by a manipulator. The manipulator is preferably a multi-axis coating robot with serial robot kinematics. Another possibility of a manipulator is an xy or xyz linear axis system, in which the applicator is attached to one of the axes and the axes are so related to each other that the applicator can be moved to any point on the surface to be coated .

In the case of the above-mentioned sharp-edged coating, moved along the contour of the pattern the manipulator moves the applicator at a certain speed along the contour of the pattern, the applicator applying a certain amount of the coating agent. Depending on the shape of the pattern and the shape of the contour, however, it is usually not possible for the applicator to be moved over the component surface at a constant speed. For example, the applicator has to be slowed down and accelerated again at corner points, generally at points on the contour with discontinuous directional progression, turning points or kinks. Given a constant flow of the applied coating agent, this would lead to a corresponding variation in the layer thickness on the component surface due to the variation in the travel speed. These undesirable variations in the layer thickness on the component surface can be prevented by adapting the flow rate of the coating agent as a function of the travel speed. A reduction in the travel speed then leads to a corresponding reduction in the flow rate of the coating agent, while an increase in the travel speed also requires a corresponding increase in the flow rate of the coating agent.

However, the above-described adaptation of the flow rate of the coating agent as a function of the travel speed is not sufficient in all cases to achieve a constant layer thickness on the component surface or is not always technically feasible. For example, a coating robot with serial robot kinematics can only implement right-angled kinks in the robot path with difficulty. It can therefore also be advantageous not to follow the contour continuously, but in several path sections that can easily be followed by the manipulator because they have no corners, kinks or turning points. The applicator then interrupts the delivery of the coating agent between the successive web sections and starts the next web section during this coating break.

This subdivision of the contour of the pattern to be followed into several successive path sections is particularly useful at problem areas, such as kinks in the contour. The concept of a problem area used in the context of the invention is preferably based on the fact that the manipulator used can pass the respective problem area without an interruption only with a sharp drop in the travel speed, for example with a break in the travel speed of more than 50%, 70%, 80% or 90%.

Depending on the type of manipulator, the rigidity of the manipulator and / or the overall system The possible radii and / or the acceleration distances can be different from the manipulator, travel axis, subsurface and / or the capabilities of the applicator.

If the trajectory program of the manipulator is to be created automatically, the above-mentioned parameters are entered or saved in the software required for this.

It should also be mentioned that the manipulator preferably carries out a kink-free application movement at the problem areas between the coating of the immediately successive web sections in order to start again at the immediately following web section.

In a variant of the invention, the sharp-edged coating of the contour is carried out with a coating medium jet which is connected in the longitudinal direction of the jet, preferably along the entire contour.

In another variant of the invention, on the other hand, the sharp-edged coating of the contour is carried out first with a coating agent jet that is contiguous in the longitudinal direction of the jet and then with a jet of droplets consisting of numerous droplets that are not related in the longitudinal direction of the jet.

The planar coating of the pattern and / or the sharp-edged coating of the contour can alternately take place within the scope of the invention with a coherent coating agent jet in the longitudinal direction of the beam and with a jet of droplets consisting of numerous droplets that are not related in the longitudinal direction of the jet. This alternation between the different jet shapes (droplet jet or continuous jet) can be temporal or alternate between the pattern within the contour and the contour itself.

It has already been mentioned briefly above that within the scope of the invention there is the possibility that the pattern is first applied over the surface within the contour and only then is the contour traced. Here, within the scope of the invention, there is the possibility that after the surface coating of the pattern by means of a measuring system (e.g. optical measuring system), the spatial alignment and position of the initially still fuzzy contour is determined so that the contour can then be traced with an accurate fit.

Alternatively, however, there is also the possibility that the contour is drawn first and then the pattern is coated over the entire area within the contour. There is the possibility of that after the pre-drawing of the contour, the spatial position and alignment of the contour is first determined by means of a measuring system, so that the flat coating of the pattern can then take place with an accurate fit within the pre-drawn contour.

The above-mentioned measuring system can be attached to the manipulator and is then moved with the manipulator. Alternatively, however, it is also possible for the measuring system to be arranged in a stationary manner separately from the manipulator.

The measuring system preferably works optically and has at least one camera and an image evaluation unit for this purpose.

In one variant of the invention, the flat coating within the contour is carried out with the same coating agent as the sharp-edged coating along the contour.

In another variant of the invention, however, different coating agents are used for this purpose, in particular coating agents with different colors.

Furthermore, within the scope of the invention, there is the possibility that the surface coating is carried out with different patterns with different coating agents. Furthermore, there is also the possibility that the sharp-edged coating takes place with different contours with different coating agents.

It has already been briefly mentioned above that the coating agent droplets or coating agent webs applied to the component converge to form a continuous coating agent film after application due to the cohesive force of the coating agent, which is basically desirable. However, this convergence is only possible within a certain time after the coating agent has been applied. If the same coating agent is used for the contour and for the surface coating, it is fundamentally desirable that the contour and inner surface converge. In this case, the surface coating of the pattern and the sharp-edged coating along the contour are preferably carried out at a time interval that is shorter than the flow time so that the coating agent of the contour and the surface can converge.

In the case of different coating agents for the contour and inner surface and especially in the case of different colored coating agents for the contour and inner surface, this convergence is the Coating agents, on the other hand, are not exactly desirable. In this case, the planar coating of the pattern and the sharp-edged coating along the contour are preferably carried out at a time that is greater than the flow time so that the different coating agents of the contour and the inner surface do not converge.

In general, it should be mentioned that the coating agent is preferably applied by an applicator which does not emit a spray jet, but a narrowly limited jet of coating agent. The applicator can therefore be a print head as is basically known per se from the prior art.

The coating agent jet can consist, for example, of coating agent droplets which are separated from one another in the longitudinal direction of the jet. Alternatively, however, there is also the possibility that the coating agent jet is connected in the longitudinal direction of the jet.

It has already been mentioned briefly above that the applicator is preferably moved over the component surface by a manipulator, which is preferably a multi-axis coating robot with serial robot kinematics or a linear axis system.

It is advantageous here if the manipulator has a high spatial positioning accuracy and / or repeat accuracy, which is preferably more precise than 5mm, 2mm or even 0.5mm. This is useful so that the contour and the inner surface of a pattern can be applied precisely to one another.

With regard to the type of coating agent applied, the invention is not restricted to paints, such as, for example, one-component paints, two-component paints, water-based paints or solvent-based paints. Rather, the coating agent can also be an adhesive, an adhesion promoter, a primer, a pasty material, a sealant or an insulating material.

It should also be mentioned that the coating agent is preferably applied with a certain application distance between the applicator and the component surface, the application distance preferably being in the range of 1mm-80mm, 5mm-50mm or 10mm-50mm. It should also be mentioned that the invention not only claims protection for the coating method according to the invention described above. Rather, the invention also claims protection for a corresponding coating installation that carries out the coating method according to the invention.

Thus, the coating system according to the invention initially has an applicator for applying the coating agent, which is preferably a nozzle applicator or a print head.

Furthermore, the coating system according to the invention comprises a manipulator for moving the applicator over the component surface, which is preferably a multi-axis coating robot with serial robot kinematics or a linear axis unit.

In addition, the coating system according to the invention comprises a control system for controlling the manipulator and the applicator, the control system being able to include hardware components and software components and being able to be distributed over various parts and components. The control system is designed in such a way that the coating installation carries out the coating method according to the invention described above.

For this purpose, the coating system according to the invention can also comprise the measuring system already mentioned above.

Finally, the invention also claims protection for a corresponding control program which, when executed on the control system, causes the application system to execute the coating method according to the invention. The control program can be stored on a computer-readable medium (e.g. computer memory, USB stick, CDROM, DVD, memory card, etc.), so that the computer-readable medium with the control program stored on it is also protected.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are explained in more detail below together with the description of the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

FIG. 1A shows a schematic illustration of the conventional application of a pattern with a Nozzle applicator, which emits a coherent coating medium jet in the longitudinal direction,

FIG. 1B shows the pattern according to FIG. 1A after the coating agent webs converge on the component surface,

FIG. 2A a modification of FIG. 1A for a nozzle applicator which emits a jet of droplets,

FIG. 2B a modification of FIG. 1B for the nozzle applicator which emits a jet of droplets,

3A-3D various schematic representations for the application of a according to the invention

Pattern with a nozzle applicator that emits a coating agent jet that is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the jet,

4A-4D Modifications of FIGS. 3A-3D for a nozzle applicator which emits a jet of droplets,

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart to illustrate the coating method according to the invention, and also

FIG. 6 shows a greatly simplified schematic representation of a coating installation according to the invention.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematic representations for the conventional application of a pattern in the form of the letter D to a component surface of a component, such as a motor vehicle body component. Here, a nozzle applicator applies a coating agent jet that is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the jet onto the component surface, so that initially elongated coating agent webs 1 are formed on the component surface, which are delimited by a contour 2. After hitting the component surface, the coating medium webs 1 then converge due to the cohesive force of the applied lacquer and then form a cohesive pattern 3. In this known type of pattern application, the outlines of the coating medium webs 1 can still be seen along the contour 2. The contour 2 is not particularly sharp in this case, which is undesirable. FIGS. 2A and 2B show corresponding representations for the sample application with a nozzle applicator which emits a jet of droplets, ie a jet of coating agent consisting of droplets of coating agent which are not connected in the longitudinal direction of the jet.

Instead of the coating agent webs 1, coating agent droplets 4 arise on the component surface, which then also converge to form the continuous pattern 3 due to the cohesive force of the applied coating agent. Here too, however, the contour 2 of the pattern 3 is not particularly sharp.

FIGS. 3A-3D show representations of the sample application according to the invention, these representations basically corresponding to FIGS. 1A and 1B, i.e. Here, too, the pattern 3 is applied by a nozzle applicator, which emits coherent jets of coating agent in the longitudinal direction of the jet, so that the layers of coating agent 1 are created on the component surface. It should be noted here that the reference numeral 3 in Figure 3A denotes the desired pattern, i.e. the specification that goes into the whole process.

Here, the pattern 3 has an inner contour 5 and an outer contour 6, which are painted with a sharp edge in order to produce the desired edge definition of the pattern 3. In addition, the nozzle applicator is guided along the inner contour 5 and along the outer contour 6 and then coats the inner contour 5 or the outer contour with a sharp edge, with only a single nozzle or only a few nozzles of the nozzle applicator being used to achieve the desired edge definition.

The surface coating of the pattern 3 within the contour 2 then takes place in a separate processing step, for example with a higher surface coating performance.

It should be mentioned here that the nozzle applicator is guided over the component surface by a multi-axis coating robot with serial robot kinematics. Such a coating robot allows a highly precise positioning of the nozzle applicator, but kinks with an angle (greater than a critical angle), especially right-angled ones, of the robot track are problematic. The outer contour 6 thus has two problem areas 7, 8, at which the outer contour 6 shows a rectangular kink. Correspondingly, the inner contour 5 also has prob lemstellen 9, 10, at which the inner contour 5 shows a rectangular kink. It is therefore difficult with a coating robot with serial robot kinematics to guide the nozzle applicator exactly over the problem areas 7-10, since the travel speed for this is necessary would have to be greatly reduced (limit value zero).

The coating method according to the invention therefore provides that the outer contour 6 is divided into two path sections BAI, BA4, just as the inner contour 5 is also divided into two path sections BA2, BA3. In the case of the sharp-edged coating of the outer contour 6, the web section BAI is first painted, starting from an approach point PIA and ending at a departure point PIE. There are no large angles (sharp kinks) on the path section BAI, so that the coating robot can guide the nozzle applicator along the path section BAI with an almost constant travel speed.

The path section BA2 of the inner contour 5 is painted accordingly, starting from an approach point B2A and ending with a departure point P2E. Here, too, there are no kinks on the path section BA2, which enables an almost constant travel speed within the path section BA2.

The path section BA3 begins at the approach point P3A and ends at the departure point P3E and is completely linear, which also enables a constant travel speed on the path section BA3.

Finally, the path section BA4 begins at the approach point P4A and ends at the departure point P4E. The path section BA4 is also completely linear and therefore enables a constant travel speed.

FIGS. 4A-4D show modifications of FIGS. 3A-3D for a nozzle applicator which emits a jet of droplets. To avoid repetition, reference is therefore made to the description of FIGS. 3A-3D.

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart to illustrate the coating method according to the invention.

After the program has started, the manipulator type is first determined in a step S1, ie the type of the multi-axis coating robot used or, for example, the type of the linear axis system. Depending on the type of manipulator, an associated set of parameters is then loaded which reflects the properties of the respective manipulator. In a step S2, the applicator type is then specified and a corresponding set of parameters is loaded which reflects the properties of the respective applicator type, as well as optional parameters such as the distance between the nozzles, the nozzle diameter and the number of nozzles.

In a step S3, parameters for a path program algorithm are then specified, such as maximum and / or minimum painting web width, minimum possible curve radius, minimum and / or maximum paint volume flow and maximum web speed.

In a step S4, a graphic is then read in which is to be applied as a pattern.

In a step S5, the graphic is then analyzed, for example with regard to the inner area, the contour, the assigned colors and with regard to the comparison with the available colors.

In a step S6, a path program is then calculated which defines the approach and departure routes as well as switch-on and switch-off points.

The path program is then visualized in a step S7 and the path program is simulated. The operator of the program can then evaluate the result. If the path program is not acceptable, a corresponding adjustment follows in step S3. Otherwise the path program is enabled for control.

FIG. 6 shows a greatly simplified schematic representation of a coating installation according to the invention with a measuring system 11, a manipulator 12, an applicator 13 and a control system 14. The control system 14 can have hardware components and software components and are distributed over various parts and components his.

The control system 14 controls the manipulator 12 and the applicator 13 in the manner described above so that the monitoring method according to the invention is carried out.

Here, the measuring system 11 can determine the spatial position and alignment of the contour and the inner surface of the pattern so that the contour and inner surface can be applied to one another with a precise fit. The invention is not restricted to the preferred exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, a large number of variants and modifications are possible which also make use of the inventive concept and therefore fall within the scope of protection. In particular, the invention also claims protection for the subject matter and the features of the subclaims independently of the claims referred to in each case and in particular also without the features of the main claim. The invention thus comprises various aspects of the invention that are protected independently of one another.

List of reference symbols:

1 coating agent webs

2 contour

3 patterns

4 coating agent droplets

5 inner contour

6 outer contour

7, 8 problem areas of the outer contour 6 9, 10 problem areas of the inner contour 5 11 measuring system

12 manipulator

13 applicator

14 Tax system

BA1-BA4 track sections

P1A-P4A approach points

P1E-P4E departure points

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

1. Coating method for coating a component with a coating agent, in particular for painting a motor vehicle body component, with the following steps: a) Establishing a pattern (3) on the component surface of the component to be coated, the pattern (3) being a surface area that is bordered by a contour (2; 5, 6), and b) flat coating of the component surface with the coating agent within the contour (2; 5, 6),

characterized by the following step:

c) Sharp edge coating of the component surface with a coating agent along at least part of the contour (2; 5, 6) of the pattern (3).

2. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface coating within the contour (2; 5, 6) takes place with a greater surface coating performance than the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6).

3. Coating method according to claim 1,

characterized,

a) that the coating is carried out by means of an applicator (13) which has several nozzles which can be activated or deactivated individually or in groups for a coating, b) that in the case of the flat coating within the contour (2; 5, 6) a larger number is activated by nozzles for the coating than with the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6),

c) that during the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6), preferably less than 20, 10, 5 or only a single nozzle of the applicator (13) is activated for the coating.

4. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a) that the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6) of the pattern (3) takes place by means of an applicator (13) which is moved by a manipulator (12) along the contour (2; 5, 6), in particular a multi-axis coating robot (12) with serial robot kinematics, and b) that the applicator (13) applies the coating agent during the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6) with a specific flow rate, and

c) that the manipulator (12) moves the applicator (13) during the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6) at a certain speed over the component surface, and

d) that with the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6)

dl) the flow rate of the coating agent is adapted as a function of the speed of movement in order to achieve a layer thickness that is as constant as possible on the component surface, or

d2) the flow rate of the coating agent remains constant.

5. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a) that the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6) of the pattern (3) takes place by means of an applicator (13) which is moved by a manipulator (12) along the contour (2; 5, 6), in particular a multi-axis coating robot (12) with serial robot kinematics, and

b) that the manipulator (12) moves the applicator (13) during the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6) at a certain speed over the component surface and thereby moves along the contour (2; 5, 6), and

c) that the manipulator (12) does not follow the contour (2; 5, 6) continuously, but in several path sections (BA1-BA4), and

d) that the applicator (13) interrupts the delivery of the coating agent between the coating of the immediately successive web sections (BA1-BA4) of the contour (2; 5, 6).

6. Coating method according to claim 5,

characterized,

a) that the immediately successive track sections (BA1-BA4) adjoin one another at problem areas (7-10) of the contour (2; 5, 6), in particular at kinks in the contour (2; 5, 6), the problem areas ( 7-10) characterized in that the manipulator (12) could pass the problem areas (7-10) without an interruption only with a sharp drop in the speed of travel, in particular with a drop of more than 50%, 70%, 80% or 90%, and / or b) that the manipulator (12) at the problem areas (7-10) between the coating of the immediately successive track sections (BA1-BA4) executes a kink-free application movement in order to start again at the immediately following track section.

7. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a) that the sharp-edged coating of the contour (2; 5, 6) takes place with a coating agent jet that is connected in the longitudinal direction of the jet, or

b) that the sharp-edged coating of the contour (2; 5, 6) is first carried out with a coating agent jet that is contiguous in the longitudinal direction of the jet and then with a jet of droplets consisting of numerous droplets that are not connected in the longitudinal direction of the jet.

8. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the planar coating of the pattern (3) and the sharp-edged coating of the contour (2; 5, 6) alternately with a cohesive coating agent in the longitudinal direction of the beam and with a jet of droplets numerous droplets, which are not connected in the longitudinal direction of the jet, namely

a) alternating in time or

b) alternating between the pattern (3) and the contour (2; 5, 6).

9. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by the following steps:

a) that first the pattern (3) and only then the contour (2; 5, 6) is coated, or b) that first the contour (2; 5, 6) and then the pattern (3) is coated.

10. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by the following steps:

a) that first the pattern (3) and only then the contour (2; 5, 6) is coated, and b) that the pattern (3) applied to the component surface is recorded by means of a measuring system (11) with regard to its spatial position and extent is, in particular by means of an optical measuring system (11), in order to determine the contour (2; 5, 6) after the surface coating of the pattern (3).

11. Coating method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by the following steps:

a) that first the contour (2; 5, 6) and then the pattern (3) is coated, and

b) that the contour (2; 5, 6) applied to the component surface by means of a measuring system

(11) is detected, in particular by means of an optical measuring system (11), in order to determine the two-dimensional extent of the pattern (3).

12. Coating method according to claim 10 or 11,

characterized,

a) that the measuring system (11) is attached to the manipulator (12) and with the manipulator

(12) is moved, or

b) that the measuring system (11) is arranged in a stationary manner separately from the manipulator (12).

13. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a) that the surface coating within the contour (2; 5, 6) is carried out with a different coating agent than the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6), in particular with a different colored coating agent, and / or

b) that the two-dimensional coating of different patterns (3) takes place with different coating agents, in particular with differently colored coating agents, and / or c) that the sharp-edged coating with different contours (2; 5, 6) takes place with different coating agents, in particular with differently colored ones Coating agents.

14. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a) that after being applied to the component surface, the coating agent can only run within a certain time in order to form a flat, continuous coating on the component surface, and

b) that the surface coating of the pattern (3) and the sharp-edged coating along the adjacent contour (2; 5, 6) takes place at a time interval which is shorter than the flow time so that the coating agent of the contour (2; 5, 6) and the surface can converge.

15. Coating method according to one of claims 1 to 13,

characterized,

a) that the flat coating within the contour (2; 5, 6) with a different coating agent than the sharp-edged coating along the contour (2; 5, 6), in particular with a different colored coating agent, and

b) after application to the component surface, the coating agent can only run within a certain flow time in order to form a flat, continuous coating on the component surface, and

c) that the surface coating of the pattern (3) and the sharp-edged coating along the adjacent contour (2; 5, 6) takes place at a time interval that is greater than the flow time so that the different coating agents of the contour (2; 5, 6 ) and the surface do not converge.

16. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a) that the coating agent is applied by an applicator (13) which does not emit a spray jet, but a narrowly defined coating agent jet, and / or b) that the coating agent jet

bl) consists of coating agent droplets which are separated from one another in the longitudinal direction of the beam, or

b2) related in the longitudinal direction of the beam, and / or

c) that the applicator (13) is moved over the component surface by a manipulator (12), in particular by a multi-axis coating robot (12) with serial robot kinematics, and / or

d) that the manipulator (12) has a spatial positioning accuracy and / or repeatability that is more precise than 5mm, 2mm or 0.5mm, and / or

e) that the coating agent is a paint, in particular a one-component paint or a two-component paint, a water-based paint or a solvent-based paint, or an adhesive, an adhesion promoter, a primer, a pasty material, a sealant, an insulating material, and / or

f) that the coating agent is applied with a certain application distance between the applicator (13) and the component surface, the application distance being 1mm-80mm, 5mm-50mm or 10mm-25mm.

17. Coating method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by at least one of the following steps:

a) determining the type of manipulator for guiding an applicator,

b) reading out a manipulator-specific parameter set from a memory, the manipulator-specific parameter set reflecting properties of the manipulator, c) determining a type of applicator,

d) reading out an applicator-specific parameter set from a memory, the applicator-specific parameter set reproducing properties of the applicator,

e) Establishing a web-program-specific parameter set, the web-program-specific parameter set defining properties of a robot path, in particular el) painting web width,

e2) curve radius of the robot path,

e3) paint volume flow,

e4) maximum path speed,

Reading out the pattern from a memory,

g) Analysis of the pattern read out to determine the contour,

h) Calculating a path program, in particular with

hl) access routes,

h2) departure routes,

h3) switch-on points, and / or

h4) switch-off points,

Visualization of the rail program.

18. Coating system for coating a component with a coating agent, in particular for painting a motor vehicle body component with

a) an applicator (13) for applying the coating agent,

b) a manipulator (12) for moving the applicator (13) over the component surface, in particular in the form of a multi-axis coating robot (12) with a serial robot kinematics, and

c) a control system (14) for controlling the manipulator (12) and the applicator (13), characterized in that

d) that the control system (14) carries out the coating method according to one of the preceding claims.

19. Coating system according to claim 18, characterized by a measuring system (11) for detecting the spatial position and the extent of the pattern (3) and / or the contour (2; 5, 6), the measuring system (11) with the control system (14) is in signal connection.

20. Computer-readable medium, in particular computer memory, with a stored on it th computer program which, when executed on a control system of an application system, causes the application system to carry out the coating method according to one of claims 1 to 17.